Update:
I received the Slik Pro II from Amazon and it was shipped missing the mounting plate and the center column was frozen and wouldn't move. I called Amazon and they were very nice...again...and sent a pick up ticket for the item.
I did some further research and decided to order a Davis and Sanford TRAVERSEB11 from Adorama. This thing is slightly heavier than it's competitors by roughly 1 lb. but it is built as solid as a Pentax
It's all metal (there is hardly any plastic on this) including a solid metal ball head and will support 11 pounds according to the specs. What I especially like about it is that it folds down to about 16" and has a 10 year manufacturers warranty.
It definitely feels like a professional tripod and is extremely solid. If you are looking for a reasonably priced tripod with a top notch built check it out. I don't think that there's anything on the market that can approach this quality build for $85.00 and be so compact.
Davis & Sanford TRAVERSEB11 Traverse Tripod TRAVERSEB11 
Similar Threads 
